Imagine a hospital in which all nurses and doctors exhibit professionalism, beauty, splendor, and awe among colleagues and patients. A place where the people taking care of you appear greater than human, larger than life, infallible figures, portraying an image that captures total trust and total confidence from those nearby. What a wonderful place that would be. But alas, we have work ahead of us.
This thread is designed to discuss the importance of impressions in nursing. While many nurses take pride in appearing beautiful or handsome, many walk in to work with a case of the feck-its when it comes to appearance. Unfortunately I feel that nurses are much worse than doctors in this arena. Where I work the majority of female doctors wear their hair down, liberally apply makeup, wear form fitting clothing, and hard soled shoes. They try to appear as beautiful as they can. Likewise, the male doctors come in with tailored clothing that had been ironed, they have well-oiled hair, nice watches, and other things reminiscent of the show "General Hospital."
Meanwhile, in the ICU I've worked in, we've got a female nurse with a buzz cut, one woman wearing a pirate-like black eye patch, nurses with baggy wrinkled scrubs, nurses wearing those ugly skechers shapeups, everyone wearing their hair up or back in a plain boring pony tail instead of letting it flow, men or even women with untrimmed or unneatly trimmed facial hair and people exhibiting other drab or and in my humble opinion, embarrassing features. I feel like no other college educated profession dresses down as much as nurses do and it bothers me.
What do you think of nurses and the images they portray in the professional setting? Use this thread to talk about what you like or dislike, what you think should change and what shouldn't.
Specializes in LTC,Hospice/palliative care,acute care.
OP,you certainly have a unique POV.Personally I want the most competent physicians and nurses caring for me,I don't care if they are pretty.This goes for anyone I hire to work for me,in or around my house...I don't care about things like religion or looks, just qualifications.You are describing the portrayal of the hospital in Grey's Anatomy.It's NOT REAL.I don't see a predominance of handsome docs in real life,most of them were nerdy kids and grew up into nerdy adults..We in the trenches have to leave the pearls and pumps to the folks in the carpeted offices due to infection control....No strong perfumes,hair secured neatly,clean shrubs...That's all that's required.I don't want the Wizard of Oz caring for me,remember what was behind the curtain.????
I used to shower the night before going to work so that I could eek out every last minute in the morning. That was before peri menopause and the night sweat routine. Gah...
Ugh I'm doing the night sweat thing too. I have super duper big hair. It just is. So if I shower after my shift/before bed, I'm trying to sleep on a mountain of wet red hair. Sometimes I braid it up after a before bed shower if I've gotten really dirty at work. But still, I'm with Spidey. I HAVE to have a shower and coffee to get my motor running.
I'm super pale and have white eye lashes. If I wear face makeup at all (not in the OR anymore) it's an almost translucent tinted moisturizer. I don't leave the house without mascara though. My normal face routine is about 5-10 minutes including after shower moisturizing. When I was in the OR I couldn't wear anything on my face. My hat and mask just ground it in to my skin and I started getting spectacular acne. Super charming on a 45+++ year old.
If I'm feeling rough and down, I will get up early and do a cool braid and put on eye makeup and blush. Something about that gives me a confidence boost and makes me more comfortable. I spent years having to dress up for work as well as having to talk to media on occasion, so I think there is some nostalgia in routine.
I deeply wish I was one of those who could wear 0 makeup and not be scary though. I've noticed not drinking enough water on shift combined with the air of the hospital makes me really dry, thus I started with the tinted moisturizer. Luckily, I have pretty good skin though.
I must be getting old, because I have absolutely no idea what whip-its or huffing are. Can anyone enlighten me?
As it happens, I wear business clothes every day and I make an effort to look nice with hair and make-up, but that's because I'm non-clinical. When I worked in the ICU I still wore make-up and did my hair but kept it discreet and minimal. I wouldn't expect any clinical person to go into work in full make-up and made up hair. What's the point when you're running around sweating all day? I can't even believe this is a conversation.
I use the Rose Salve from Bath & Body works or tinted Vaseline pots. The upside is both can be dabbed on the nostrils or mask to disguise the florid end result of lactulose or kayexelate really well!
Like I said prior, I wear light make-up. Takes me tops 7 minutes from start to finish, another 5 maybe for makeup. I don't do it for others - I do it for my own preferences. I picked a light powder concealer with a silicone primer that keeps it on for most of the shift - all bets are off if I'm in airborne precautions. That darned N95 rubs it all off in no time.
I use the Rose Salve from Bath & Body works or tinted Vaseline pots. The upside is both can be dabbed on the nostrils or mask to disguise the florid end result of lactulose or kayexelate really well!
Like I said prior, I wear light make-up. Takes me tops 7 minutes from start to finish, another 5 maybe for makeup. I don't do it for others - I do it for my own preferences. I picked a light powder concealer with a silicone primer that keeps it on for most of the shift - all bets are off if I'm in airborne precautions. That darned N95 rubs it all off in no time.
I love how worked up everyone is getting about this thread. Sure the buzz cut and the eye patch may not be any of our business, but there is a way to appear professional and clean without looking like a glam queen.
As a female in this profession, I keep my nails short and clean. I never let my nail polish chip. I keep my scrubs clean, and (mostly) wrinkley free. Should I get stains on a set of scrubs, its off to the trash with them. I keep my shoes and equipment clean too. I wouldn't want to be a patient when a nurse has a dirty stethoscope.
Its important to have a clean, happy face at work. Dark circles? conceal them. I may be tired but I never let on to my patients how little sleep I get. I do think its important to keep long hair tied back. its an infection risk (and down right gross) to let your hair dangle in the patients face as you lean over their bed to listen to heart sounds. But there is a difference between a pony tail, braid, or bun, and a messy/frizzy glop of hair on top of the head. As far as jewelry goes, again, infection risk. But there is nothing wrong with some small stud earrings and a wedding band.
When my mom was in nursing school (many years ago) she was graded on her appearance, and I think that serves an important lesson. Just because we wear comfortable clothes to work (and sometimes work when most people are sleeping or relaxing) doesn't mean that we can't be professional and present ourselves in a clean, neat way.
I love how worked up everyone is getting about this thread. Sure the buzz cut and the eye patch may not be any of our business, but there is a way to appear professional and clean without looking like a glam queen.
As a female in this profession, I keep my nails short and clean. I never let my nail polish chip. I keep my scrubs clean, and (mostly) wrinkley free. Should I get stains on a set of scrubs, its off to the trash with them. I keep my shoes and equipment clean too. I wouldn't want to be a patient when a nurse has a dirty stethoscope.
Its important to have a clean, happy face at work. Dark circles? conceal them. I may be tired but I never let on to my patients how little sleep I get. I do think its important to keep long hair tied back. its an infection risk (and down right gross) to let your hair dangle in the patients face as you lean over their bed to listen to heart sounds. But there is a difference between a pony tail, braid, or bun, and a messy/frizzy glop of hair on top of the head. As far as jewelry goes, again, infection risk. But there is nothing wrong with some small stud earrings and a wedding band.
When my mom was in nursing school (many years ago) she was graded on her appearance, and I think that serves an important lesson. Just because we wear comfortable clothes to work (and sometimes work when most people are sleeping or relaxing) doesn't mean that we can't be professional and present ourselves in a clean, neat way.
No one is saying we should not appear neat and clean. But come on - the OP seems to think we should prep for work the way we might a night out with friends.
And back when your mother was graded on appearance? That was also when "stewardesses" had to be under a certain weight, not wear eye glasses, and other shallow ideals.
Now nurses and flight attendants need to focus on caring for their charges - not of they gained too much weight or if their hair is stylish enough.
Nonyvole, BSN, RN
420 Posts
Same...especially the nights that I don't work. Hrm. Worth trying!
And yes, on needing that first cup of coffee.